Hi everyone and welcome to a brand new tag – Shelfie by Shelfie that I was inspired to create late one night when I couldn’t sleep. If you want to join in, you share a picture (or “shelfie”) of one of your shelves i.e. favourites, TBR, however you like to organise them, and then answer ten questions that are based around that particular shelf. I have quite a large collection and am going to do every single bookshelf which comprises both my huge TBR and the books I’ve read and kept but please, don’t feel obliged to do every shelf yourself if you fancy doing this tag. I’d love to see anything and just a snapshot of your collection would be terrific and I’m sure, really interesting for other people to see!

Anyway – on with the tag, it’s time for the third shelf of my second bookshelf and we’re looking at the middle part of the image.

And here are the questions!:

1.) Is there any reason for this shelf being organised the way it is or is it purely random?

Oh dear. If you’re looking at the image and can’t guess why it’s organised the way it is, I’m not helping you here!! Only joking, there are rare few authors on my shelves that get an entire two shelves worth of space to themselves but Stephen King is one of those giants. He was the first author I fell in love with and although I don’t give every single one of his books five stars, I always know I’m going to get a corking story when I open a book of his.

2.) Tell us a story about one of the books on this shelf that is special to you i.e. how you got it/ a memory associated with it etc.

Ooh, I could tell you so many! I’m going to go with the very first King I read and that was IT when I was about fourteen years old. I’m not ashamed to admit it scared the crap out of me! I have a fond memory of being back at my parents in Germany from boarding school in Scotland and I used to accompany my mum to work so I wouldn’t be alone in the house. I was perfectly happy just sitting in their tea room and reading my book until my mum had a break or she’d finish and we’d head home together. Well, I was sat in the tea room listening to every bump and peculiar noise because I was TERRIFIED. And this was during the day too! From then on, I was a die hard fan and when my copy of IT got damaged, I simply had to buy a replacement copy with the exact same cover as the one I had when I was fourteen years old. A new version just would not do!

3.) Which book from this shelf would you ditch if you were forced to and why?

This question really isn’t fair. Stephen King is my God so why would I do that to myself? Oh, alright, if I have to choose? The one at the far right which he wrote with Peter Straub – The Talisman. It’s not my favourite of his collaborations but is better than the second book in the duology, Black House which disappeared from my shelves a little while ago because I had to be honest how much I disliked it. 😦

4.) Which book from this shelf would you save in an emergency and why?

ALL OF THEM. Okay seriously, apart from IT it would be Lisey’s Story because I have a signed hardback copy of that on the second SK shelf that I won’t read because it’s that precious to me!

5.) Which book has been on this shelf for the longest time?

Hmmm. It would either be Salem’s Lot or Needful Things, both of which are my original copies and are looking very battered and sorry for themselves. The latter book is such an under-rated SK book in my opinion, if you haven’t read it and like King, please do, it’s fabulous.

6.) Which book is the newest addition to this shelf?

Newest addition would be The Bazaar Of Bad Dreams which is one of King’s latest short story collections. I haven’t read it yet (I know, shock horror!) but waited ever so patiently for it to come out in paperback. Even though I think I prefer a hardback, I’m really trying not to buy them at the moment as I have a severe space issue on my shelves and they’re just so damn heavy and annoying when you move house!

7.) Which book from this shelf are you most excited to read (or re-read if this is a favourites shelf?)

I’m definitely most excited to re-read Rose Madder. I’ve only read it once and that was about fifteen years ago but I remember being absolutely gripped throughout.

8.) If there is an object on this shelf apart from books, tell us the story behind it.

I think I mentioned in my last Shelfie by Shelfie that this bookshelf probably has the most “objects” on it so I’ll tell you about a couple of my favourites. The first are two of my candles. The Yankee Candle, Crackling Wood Fire was a present for Christmas last year and the Mint Mandarin Bitters was a present to myself from TK Maxx as I wanted an Autumnal/Winter Candle and thought this one looked and smelled perfect. It’s probably going to be the next candle I burn after I finish my current Gingerbread one from Flamingo Candles as I don’t think I can wait until next year. I’m a bit strange in that I like to burn particular candles in particular seasons so in my next Shelfie by Shelfie you’ll see my Spring range!! 😀

The second object(s) are two very precious items to me. The first is a glass elephant from Malta where I went to with my fellow blogger and beloved sister Chrissi Reads on a reading holiday. We’ve been there twice now and both times we’ve had the most amazing, relaxing holiday. I think this elephant is from our first visit and we both bought each other one so we’d always have a reminder of our time there. The second object is a bracelet from my Gran. I don’t really wear much jewellery but this is absolutely gorgeous and very “me!”

9.) What does this shelf tell us about you as a reader?

Perhaps that I love Stephen King? Yep….I think that’s all!

10.) Choose other bloggers to tag or choose a free question you make up yourself.

I won’t tag anyone but if anyone wants to do this tag, I’d be delighted and I’d love to see your shelfie.

Thank you so much to Chrissi, Sarah, Dee, Jacquie, Stuart, Jennifer, Paula, Gretchen, Kathy, Jenn, Eden, Caitlynn, Nicki and CJ for participating in Shelfie by Shelfie, it really means the world to me. Hugs!

If you’ve done this tag or you’re one of the people above and I’ve missed out one of your shelfies please let me know and I’d be happy to add you to Shelfie by Shelfies round the blogosphere!

What? Six years? I’ve been blogging SIX YEARS? It’s hard to believe but there you go. As always, a huge thank you to everyone who has left me a comment, like whether you’ve followed me from the very beginning or are a more recent follower, I appreciate you all and love the little interactions we have.

This past year I’ve watched my little blog grow a bit more and have had my best year ever in terms of views, comments and likes. It’s not all about the stats, of course but I always get a bit surprised and overwhelmed when anyone says they like what I’m doing – it means the world to me.

I’m loving the friendships that I’ve made since starting bibliobeth and some of those have got incredibly strong over this past year. I know I can rely on these people for a good chat, support and advice even if it isn’t blog or book related and I’m so very grateful for that and for them being part of my lives.

This past year was also the year I started buddy reading in earnest. I’ve always buddy read with my sister and fellow blogger, Chrissi Reads. We have a regular “Talking About” feature and of course, there’s our Kid-Lit and Banned Books challenges which we complete on a monthly basis. However, I also started buddy reading with Janel from Keeper Of Pages,Stuart from Always Trust In Books and Jennifer from Tar Heel Reader and I’m just loving my reading experiences with them. Also, they are all brilliant and amazing people so if you don’t follow them, you really, really should!

Today I feel like a very lucky blogger indeed and to say thank you (and because it is tradition for my blogiversary) I’d like to host a giveaway. I’ll be giving one person a chance to win FOUR BOOKS of their choice from either Amazon or The Book Depository. The only stipulations are that they can’t be textbooks or ridiculously priced books but of course, this will be discussed with the winner.

I will keep it open until the end of January so you have lots of time to enter and once I’ve chosen a winner at random, I’ll contact you and you can let me know your address for receiving your lovely goodies! Please make sure if you are under 18 you have permission to email me your address which will only be used for the purpose of this giveaway and not stored.

Please note: this giveaway IS international as long as Amazon/Book Depository delivers to you!

Hello everyone! Every other month I alternate what I’m reading quite specifically between three things. It’s either Chrissi Cupboard Month where I try my best to get through all the books my sister and fellow blogger Chrissi Reads lends me (and that’s a lot!).

Then there’s Real Book Month where I try and read all the physical books just waiting to be devoured on my bookshelves (also a LOT!)

Finally, there’s Book Bridgr/NetGalley/ARC Month where I try and catch up on all those ARC/review copies sent to me by authors, publishers, NetGalley and Book Bridgr. (A LOT!)

At the moment, I’m desperately trying to catch up on my Netgalley reviews to finally achieve that much longed for and ideal 80% ratio. Unfortunately there’s not much chance of me achieving it this year – I went a bit crazy when I was first approved for review copies on Netgalley. Oops. However, I’ve done much better this year at closing the gap and will work on it again next year before I request anything else. Once I’m on top of things, I’m planning to be much more sensible!

Anyway, here’s what I’ve got planned to read this month:

An Act Of Silence by Colette McBeth (with kind thanks to Headline publishers)

What’s it all about?:

MOTHER. WIFE. POLITICIAN. LIAR.THEN: How far did she go to conceal the truth?

Politician Linda Moscow sacrificed everything to protect her son: her beliefs, her career, her marriage. All she wanted was to keep him safe.

NOW: What will she risk to expose the lies?

When the voices she silenced come back to haunt her, Linda is faced with another impossible choice. Only this time, it’s her life on the line . . .

An Act of Silence is about the abuse of power, the devastating effects of keeping the truth buried, and the lengths a mother will go to save her child.

The Book Of Mirrors by E.O. Chirovici (with kind thanks to Random House, UK)

What’s it all about?:

One Man’s Truth Is Another Man’s Lie.

When big-shot literary agent Peter Katz receives an unfinished manuscript entitled The Book of Mirrors, he is intrigued.

The author, Richard Flynn is writing a memoir about his time at Princeton in the late 80s, documenting his relationship with the famous Professor Joseph Wieder. One night in 1987, Wieder was brutally murdered in his home and the case was never solved.

Peter Katz is hell-bent on getting to the bottom of what happened that night twenty-five years ago and is convinced the full manuscript will reveal who committed the violent crime. But other people’s recollections are dangerous weapons to play with, and this might be one memory that is best kept buried.

The Boy That Never Was by Karen Perry (with kind thanks to Penguin UK)

What’s it all about?:

You were loved and lost – then you came back . . .

Five years ago, three-year-old Dillon disappeared. For his father Harry – who left him alone for ten crucial minutes – it was an unforgivable lapse. Yet Dillon’s mother Robyn has never blamed her husband: her own secret guilt is burden enough.

Now they’re trying to move on, returning home to Dublin to make a fresh start.

But their lives are turned upside down the day Harry sees an eight-year-old boy in the crowd. A boy Harry is convinced is Dillon. But the boy vanishes before he can do anything about it.

What Harry thought he saw quickly plunges their marriage into a spiral of crazed obsession and broken trust, uncovering deceits and shameful secrets. Everything Robyn and Harry ever believed in one another is cast into doubt.

And at the centre of it all is the boy that never was . . .

The Sex Lives Of Siamese Twins by Irvine Welsh (with kind thanks to Random House UK)

What’s it all about?:

When Lucy Brennan, a Miami Beach personal-fitness trainer, disarms a gunman chasing two frightened homeless men, the police and the breaking-news cameras are not far behind and, within hours, Lucy is a media hero. The solitary eye-witness is the depressed and overweight Lena Sorensen, who becomes obsessed with Lucy and signs up as her client – though she seems more interested in the trainer’s body than her own. When the two women find themselves more closely aligned, and can’t stop thinking about the sex lives of Siamese twins, the real problems start…

In the aggressive, foul-mouthed trainer, Lucy Brennan, and the needy, manipulative Lena Sorensen, Irvine Welsh has created two of his most memorable female protagonists, and one of the most bizarre, sado-masochistic folies à deux in contemporary fiction. Featuring murder, depravity and revenge – and enormous amounts of food and sex – The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins taps into two great obsessions of our time – how we look and where we live – and tells a story so subversive and dark it blacks out the Florida sun.

Early in Mary Tudor’s turbulent reign, Lady Catherine and Lady Mary Grey are reeling after the brutal execution of their elder seventeen-year-old sister, Lady Jane Grey, and the succession is by no means stable.

Neither sister is well suited to a dangerous life at court. Flirtatious Lady Catherine, thought to be the true heir, cannot control her compulsion to love and be loved. Her sister, clever Lady Mary, has a crooked spine and a tiny stature in an age when physical perfection equates to goodness — and both girls have inherited the Tudor blood that is more curse than blessing. For either girl to marry without royal permission would be a potentially fatal political act. It is the royal portrait painter, Levina Teerlinc, who helps the girls survive these troubled times. She becomes their mentor and confidante.

But when the Queen’s sister, the hot-headed Elizabeth, inherits the crown, life at court becomes increasingly treacherous for the surviving Grey sisters. Ultimately each young woman must decide how far she will go to defy her Queen, risk her life, and find the safety and love she longs for.

BUDDY READS/COLLABORATIONS FOR THE REST OF THE MONTH

I’ve got myself quite a good mixture of contemporary fiction, thrillers and a historical fiction but I’ve also got some fantastic buddy reads planned for this month. Firstly, my monthly read with the wonderful Janel from Keeper Of Pages is the second book in The Themis Files – Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel. If you’re intrigued for my review from the first book in the trilogy, Sleeping Giants which was also read with Janel, please check out my review HERE.

Then we’ve got another buddy read with the fantastic Stuart from Always Trust In Books. This time around we’ll be reading The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. It’s a book I’ve heard so much hype about and I was delighted when Stuart hauled it recently as it seems like every blogger I know has read and absolutely adored it. I need to get on this bandwagon.

I’ll also be buddy reading for the very first time with the lovely Jennifer from Tar Heel Reader. We’ll be reading Elmet by Fiona Mozley, again another book that I’ve been very excited to get to!

Finally, I’ll be reading the “usual suspects” with my fabulous sister, Chrissi Reads. Our Kid-Lit book for the month of October is Nightbirds On Nantucket, the third book in The Wolves Chronicles by Joan Aiken and our Banned Book for the month is Beloved by Toni Morrison.

A busy, busy reading month but I wouldn’t have it any other way! I’d love to know if you’ve read any of these titles and what you thought of them? Hope everyone else has a brilliant reading month!